Air-pressure system for turrets and the like.



H. BENSOH.

AIR PRESSURE SYSTEM FOR TURBBTS mm THE LIKE.

LPPLIOATIOH FILED JA]. 3], 190B.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS WITNESSES UNITED sTatgssPa'rENT OFFICE.

HERMAN BENSUH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AIR-PRESSURE SYSTEM FOR TURRETS AND THE LIKE.

Specification Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

Application filed January 31, 1908. Serial No. 413,521.

This invention relates to certain improvei mrnts in connection with highpower ordnance. and relates more particularly to int-ans whereby a lterthe gun is fired and the breech block opened for reloading, the gasesol' combustion are completely scavcugctl from the bore of the gun andllalebachs ])t) lll\'t'l Y prevented.

By means of my invention, all sparks or burning particles or fragmentsejected from other guns or from the nlultt lilt'h ot the ves el. arepositively prevtaih-d l'rom entering the turret. barla-tte. or otherchamber encompassing the breech of the gun and in which the gunnerswork.

My invention consists in the provision of means for clo ing the turretor other chamber substantially air-tight. and maintaining in said turretor chamber an air pressure above that ol' the UllltltlL' atmosphere andalso in excess oi any wind pressure which may be directed against themuzzle of the gun or the side of the chamber.

ltet'erencc is to he had to the accompanying drawings. forming a part ofthis specification. in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures, and in which Figure l is avertical section through a turret and turret chamber constructed forcarrying out in improved svstem: and Figs. '3 and 3 are sectionaldetails showing different means for closing the aperture in the wallthrough which the gun extends.

It is well known that many accidents of a very serious nature haveoccurred on War vessels. due to the return of the hot gases from thebore of the gun into the turret upon the opening of the breech block.These gases ignite to cause what is known as a flarcbat-k and thegunners are often seriously burned. Accidents have also occurred due tothe entrance of burning particles through the ventilating openings ofthe turret and into engagement with a charge of explosive about to beinserted in the breech of the gun. ['nder the systems at presentemploye, it

has been attempted to scavenge the bore of the gun after each explosion,by means of a blast of air delivered at high pressure through a highpressure air conduit, but this has serious objections as the expansionof the air at the nozzle tends to chill the bore of the gun and also itoccasions some delay in manipulating the scavenging apparatus after thegun is fired and before it is reloaded. It is necessary that theinterior of the turret or other chamber he ventilated. and the moreell'ective ventilation is usually secured by l enlarging the ventilatingopenings. The in crease in the size of these openings increases theliability of the entrance of sparlt's and burning fragments, but by myimproved system the turret is thoroughly and cllectively ventilated andthe admission of all such sparks or burning fragments is prevented.

In the accompanying drawings. I have illustrated somewhatdiagrannnatically. a port ion of a war vessel having a revoluble turret1t), encompassing the supports and breech of a gun 11. Below the turretis a turret chamber 12 iuclosing the tracks and rollers upon which theturret is mounted and also inclosing the ammunition hoist 13 leadingfrom adjacent the magazine. The turret and turret chamber are in openeonnnunication with each other, but both are closed substantiallyair-tight, save for the entrance opening 14 through which air isdelivered. A blower 15 draws air from the outside atmosphere through aconduit 16, and a safety spark arrester 17, the latter being preferablyformed of a plurality of screens of fine mesh. All entrance 0 enings toand from the turret or turret chain er are provided with air locks ofany suitable type, whereby a person may enter without disturbing theestablished difference in pressure between the interior and exteriorthereof.

is shown, the turret at the rear of the gun is provided with an air lock18, having a door 19 opening into the turret and a door 20 opening tothe outside. These doors are adapted to close substantially air-tight,and one is closed before the other is opened, so that air cannot rushfrom the turret when a person enters. Any suitable form of air lock maybe employed, but as the details thereof do not constitute any portion ofmy invention, such details have not been illustrated.

The customary ventilating opening 21 of the turret is closedsubstantially air-tight during the operation of my system, and theopening through the wall of the turret through which extends the gun, isalso closed substantially air-tight. In Fig. 2 I have shown means forclosing the latter opening, consistin of a flexible apron 22 ofnoncombusti le material, annular in form, and having its outercircumference secured to the inner wall of the turret and its centralportion secured to the gun. The flexibility of the apron permits of afree up and down movement of the gun, but prevents the escape of air orthe admission of sparks. In Fig. 3, I have illustrated a different formof closing means, consisting of a shield 23 carried by the gun andhaving a curved outer surface, the center of curvature being the centerof the trunnions of the gun. This shield engages with a partition 24,having a curved surtace for engagement therewith and having an openingtherethrough for the gun. The periphery of the partition it is securedto the walls and floor of the turret, so that air can escape from thelatter only by passing through the opening in the partition, but this isclosed by the curved shield. The shield and partition have a slidingenga ement which is substantially air-tight, although ossibly not asefiective for abso lute retentlon of the air within the turret as is theform shown in Fig. 2. The sightinghood 25 may have the openings thereinclosed by small flexible aprons 20 of transparent but flexible material,or the sighting telescopes may have shields similar to those shown inFig. 2 or in Fig. 3.

The blower is so designed as to maintain a constant gas pressure withinthe turret and turret chamber, substantially in excess of atmosphericpressure and sutlicient to overcome all atmospheric conditions, as, forinstance, a high wind pressure. As soon as the gun is fired, the breechis opened and the difference in air pressure between the interior andexterior of the turret causes an immediate rush of air through the gunto scavenge the latter of all gases of combustion, and serves. at thesame time, to remove the impure air from the interior of the turret. Notonly the gases within the bore of the gun but also any burning fragmentsof the bag containing the previous explosive charge, are swept out andare positively prevented from reentering the turret. There is nomechanism of any kind to manipulate or operate to scavenge the bore, asthe mere opening of the breech block automatically permits of an escapeof a ortion of the air already in the turret. 0 course, from a practicalstandpoint, it is almost impossible to make the turret and turret:chamber perfectly airtight, but any small openings or crevices that mayexist will not constitute any source of danger as air will becontinuously escaping through these openings to prevent the admission ofoutside smoke or sparks.

The system is illustrated in the drawings as being applied to arotatable turret, but. it is very evident that it is equally appropriatefor use in connection with stationary barbcttes, movable gun shields, orany chamber whatsoever which encompasses the breech of the gun and whichcan be made substantially air-tight. The invention does not necessitateany remodeling or redesigning of the present type of construction, butmerely involves the installing of a blower which can maintain asubstantially constant air pressure materially above that of theatmosphere or of wind pressure, and the closing of the openings to theturret substantially air-tight.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In combination, a breech loading gun, a substantially air-tightchamber for the gunner encompassing the rear portion of the gun, andmeans for maintaining an air pressure in said chamber substantially inexcess of atmospheric pressure.

2. In combination, a large caliber gun, a substantially air-tightchamber for the gunners and encompassing the supports and entire rearportion of the gun, and means for maintaining an air pressure in saidchamber substantially in excess of atmospheric pressure.

8. In combination, a gun having supports therefor, a chamberencompassing the rear )ortion of said gun and said sup )orts and havingan opening through which the muzzle of said gun extends, means forclosing said opening substantially air-tight, a blower for deliveringair to said chamber and maintaining therein a gas pressure in excess ofatmospheric pressure, a conduit delivering to said blower, and meanswithin said conduit for preventing the admission of sparks or burningparticles.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERMAN BENSCH.

'Witnesses CLAIR \V. FAIRBANK, JOHN P. DAVIS.

